Picks and Pans Review: The Jackie Thomas Show

Tom Arnold plays a crass comic from Iowa who becomes star of a hit TV sitcom. Success goes to his head like a Don Johnson cocktail, as this boorish tantrum-thrower rides roughshod over his cast and crew.

Arnold's overamped performance doesn't damage the show much because he's playing such a cartoonish ogre. The supporting actors with a flair for sarcasm (Alison LaPlaca and Martin Mull) stand out. The rest (Dennis Boutsikaris, Paul Feig, Michael Boatman and Maryedith Burrell) are just road kill for Arnold's comic marauding.

Like its head-banger theme music, the show has a certain raucous energy. And there are some funny lines. But the scripts so far lack structure, momentum and variety.